Creating Art for my living is what I do!
Watch the artwork evolve and see how I juggle real life and creativity as a working artist!
Along with my Artist husband, Stephen Filarsky, we built our Art Studio from a 1910 house. Here, I specialize in fine art portraits of adults, children, horses and dogs in oils, watercolors, pastels and graphite.Join me on my blog as I work in my creative space and share life on my mini farm and studio with you!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

It's been over 10 years since we first put up our garden fence using old tobacco sticks from a local farmer. They have withstood the test of time, kids, dogs, soccer balls and scrambling squirrels but recently many were looking a little worse for wear. So again I located another farmer and secured around 700 of these useful sticks to replenish our current fence and build an additional one next to the Art Studio.

I think of it as Green Building :-). After all, I have given new life to virtually antique wood..left over from North Carolina's tobacco past. Humbling to think that there was a time when these tobacco sticks were an indispensable piece of harvesting equipment on so many farms. Times really do change!
We picked a frigidly cold day last week to go and get them. Our van was full of art equipment so rather than unload all of it, we drove our two Hondas up to the farmer's barn and loaded them both down with the sticks that he had. I showed him the photo I had snapped of our fence and he was impressed
"Never thought about doing that," he said. "We've been using them as kindling to start fires."

These sturdy, handmade 4 ft long "sticks" were used to hang (string) tobacco from and then laid across the beams in the tobacco barns to dry. I think that virtually anyone in NC over 35 who was born and raised here, "worked tobacco" as a youngster. It was then the money crop of the State and the way to make good money as a teenager back in the day. It was apparently dirty, sweaty, back breaking work (and I wonder if a teen today would even consider it? :-) )

Ah well, to each his own! Below is the winter photo of a section of the garden fence with tobacco sticks along with a spring one of the Seven Sisters roses in bloom! And you thought artists only painted!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

This large 18 x 24 pastel portrait was created from a photo of a tinted photo and it was great fun to do! It is often easier working virtually life size than working small and the impact is stunning.

Most of the "historical" portraits that I create for clients, who go back this far in time, are for genealogists who come to me with faded black and white photos...sometimes even tin types.

Not all of my subjects come from the nineteenth century or have such an elegant photo of themselves. More often than not I am presented with black and white photos of hard working men and women who are squinting in the sunlight, momentarily stopped by a photo in their day to day labors.

Most of those portraits are my popular "cameo" size. (around 9 x 12) Often the clients know the coloring of their ancestors and together we bring to life, in a portrait, the very people who gave them life! Upon completion, I send them the digital file and they in turn create small copies for other interested family members. A good way to share the memories or history of one's life and remember the important role that earlier family members played in who you are today!

Sunday, January 9, 2011

What do all these happy people in the photos have in common?
They all came to our studio, and whether they were new to painting or experienced, two hours later, they all left with a completed painting!
And best of all, the class was just $30.00 with ALL supplies included! And better yet, if they participated (and almost everyone does) in the second class, it's just HALF PRICE! Convenient online sign up.

There will be hot coffee, hot chocolate, lemonade and tea for refreshment. Bring your lunch (or places nearby!) If it is nice weather (we can only hope) we can picnic outside......we hope you are animal lovers (5 dogs, 2 ponies, 2 goats)

Sunday, January 2, 2011

I spent an hour on the phone for a radio interview with Dana Woods on Blog Talk Radio last month. What a fun experience that was! Visit the link below, which is on my "about Me" page on the Art Career Experts website and for an hour listen to what the motivating reasons were in my becoming an artist.

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Artwork! Portraits! Paintings! A WAY of LIFE!

Hey, what can I say? It really IS the greatest JOB in the world! Yes, you CAN make a living from your art. I have for 18 years. Yes, for real! And I am married to an artist (and that is his sole job, too!)Join me each day and share a day in my world.To view my portraits, visit my website and while you are visiting, pop over to Steve's site and see his plein air OILS.

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Custom Portraits in oils and pastels

The Horse Bond

About Me

Artist entrepreneur, M Theresa Brown is a fine art portrait artist who has created portraits as her livelihood since 1990. Her areas of expertise span from realism to abstracts. She and her artist husband Steve Filarsky together are Filarsky Brown Art Studios LLC and their work can be found on line, in thousands of homes, businesses and corporate centers across the globe!